1. Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to the field of non-destructive testing and more particularly to embodiments for an apparatus and method for measurement and viewing with a local positioning system (LPS) and two dimensional (2D) images of non-destructive inspection (NDI) scans of a test article remotely with three dimensional (3D) Computer Aided Design (CAD) model presentations in combination with 2D images of NDI scan results for enhanced visualization.
2. Background
Non-destructive testing and results analysis of manufactured articles such as aircraft requires participation by specially trained NDI experts. Prior processes required NDI experts to be on-site with the test article (airplane) and NDI scanning hardware to obtain the necessary testing results. In addition, since the scanning hardware was not aligned with the local coordinate system of the test article, manual/subjective alignment was used to determine the local position and orientation of the scan relative to the target. Also, field measurements of positions of interest on the test article were usually made with processes such as using location inference and distances were measured from nearby landmarks using tape measures. These methods do not provide desired measurement precision for accurate analysis of test results. Additionally, the NDI data obtained required manual association with actual relative position of the structure of the test article for interpretation and analysis.
It is therefore desirable to provide a system allowing accurate placement of NDI scanning equipment and integrated visualization of NDI results with 3D CAD models of structure of the test article for enhanced analytical capability and accuracy with reduced cost.